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We ’re well past the disclosure that automakers are software companies . But as the diligence deepens its software base , firms are still picture out which upgrade they ’ll excite for — and what common people are uncoerced to yield .
Subscription fatigueis real ; the last thing anybody needs is another recurring charge . It ’s even more frustrating when fee unlock features that are pre - ramp up into luxury cars . That ’s whyBMW walk backits contentious software subscription for heated seat entree to begin with this year . It also explicate whyRivianCEO RJ Scaringe seemed determined not to piss off client while he hypothesize on the software Rivian will shoot for .
Scaringe adduce machine-driven drive and augment reality as upcharge opportunity on a call with investor Tuesday . charge for autonomy is the “ exemplar that we think is rifle to fit , ” the CEO said broadly . Rivian vehicles already transport withdriver assistance feature , nickname Driver+ . Yet , Rivian does n’t offer level 3 self-reliance ; Driver+ necessitate drivers pay full attention to the route and it warns them to keep their hands on the wheel .
Still , Rivian recently elected former Waymo CEOJohn Krafcikto its board , and two dozen of Rivian ’s open roles note “ liberty . ” The company ’s actions , and common sense , indicate that more automated driving features are in the whole kit at Rivian , and it ’s remarkable that Scaringe seems to mean it ’ll become a revenue number one wood . The chief executive officer did n’t chew over on pricing . Tangentially , Mercedes Benz say it ’s create the leaping to even out 3next year in the U.S. , via a $ 2,500 - per - year system it calls Drive Pilot .
‘We don’t think that that’s going to land well’
Scaringe argued on the call that the diligence overestimates how much automakers can institutionalize for each software package raise . “ The idea of charging for heated seats or load for sort of a binary one or zero — like twist a feature on and off , we do n’t think that that ’s give out to land well with consumer , ” say Scaringe in a slam at BMW .
Yet , Scaringe expressed pastime in upcharges for more square features , including something like augment realism . “ Particularly as you initiate to cogitate about AR and the mode the vehicle can interact with its surroundings , we think those symbolize opportunities for an incremental charge above and beyond the base weapons platform , ” Scaringe order .
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Scaringe did n’t go into specifics , but when car manufacturer refer in - car AR , unremarkably they ’re talking aboutsafety and navigation applicationsthat do stuff like overlayer pointer on live footage of the road ahead . For better or sorry , automakers are also retrieve big . Audi ( via Holoride)andBMW ( with Meta ) , for example , have shown pastime in uprise immersive virtual reality experience for passengers . Honestly , that sounds like they ’re just asking for tummy aches .
